Fanderson FAQS

[Fanderson]

This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page will answer many of the questions that we’re regularly asked about Fanderson and the way in which the club operates. With one notable exception this page isn’t designed to answer questions about the Gerry Anderson productions, as you’ll find answers to many of those questions on our “Productions” on the website.

So, firstly, our most received question:

What does 'FAB' stand for?

Nothing! Despite appearances, as used by International Rescue in Thunderbirds 'FAB' is not an acronym – it’s simply a call sign like 'Roger' or 'Ten-Four' to acknowledge received instructions. In the Sixties, when Thunderbirds was in production the term 'fab' was in common usage as a shortened form of 'fabulous' which, of course, everything was. The phrase has enjoyed resurgence in recent years and 'FAB' itself entered the English dictionary in 2002: "'FAB interjection British informal an expression of agreement to, or acknowledgement of, a command [from British television series, Thunderbirds]." - Collins Dictionary (2002).

What is Fanderson?

Fanderson is a club for fans of all Gerry Anderson television and film productions. It was formed in 1981 at the request of ITC Entertainment who wanted to assist and support one single fan body for all of the Gerry Anderson productions to which it owned the copyright. The club is based in the UK and organised by a small unpaid committee of longtime Gerry Anderson fans.

What is Fanderson's relationship with Gerry Anderson?

Gerry is our club President. He takes an active interest in everything we do, regularly contributes to the club magazine by providing information about his latest projects and answering members’ questions, and always finds time in his busy schedule to offer assistance as required. However, he entrusts all decision-making about the organisation of the club, its merchandise and events, to the members of the committee.

What is Fanderson's relationship with ITV Global Entertainment?

The licensing rights to the properties in the ITC Entertainment library of films and television programmes are now owned by ITV Global Entertainment, which recognises Fanderson as the only official appreciation society for Gerry Anderson's work. This special relationship gives us access to the ITC library of photographs and other materials, and free licence to produce merchandise based on the television series produced by Gerry for ITC between 1960 and 1976. In return Fanderson provides ITV with an information resource, consultation service and assistance to their commercial merchandise licensees, should they require it.

However, ITV doesn’t endorse any fan clubs or appreciation societies: Fanderson's status as the "official Gerry Anderson appreciation society" is provided by Anderson Entertainment and Gerry Anderson himself. ITC Entertainment authorises Fanderson's status as the only officially-recognised appreciation society for the television series on which they retain the copyright: Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Joe 90, The Secret Service, UFO, The Protectors and Space:1999. Despite the club's relationship with ITV, ITC, Anderson Entertainment and other copyright holders Fanderson is independent of any company or individual.

Who runs Fanderson?

The club committee is formed of club members who have offered their services. Committee positions are unpaid and duties are performed in members’ free time. Committee service continues until an individual decides to 'retire' or is dismissed for acting against the best interests of the club. Vacant committee posts are advertised in FAB magazine, and in the past positions have come about from members suggesting roles to improve the running of the club.

Do you have an Annual General Meeting where I can put questions to the committee?

AGMs were organised in the early days of the club but without knowing how many members would actually turn up the cost involved in hiring facilities (for an attendance of often only one or two members) was agreed to be a waste of club funds that could be put to better use improving the quality of the club magazine, items of merchandise, etc. As a result, we no longer hold AGMs but members can always put questions to the committee by writing to us. Conventions also provide an excellent opportunity to talk with committee members.

Why do I have to join Fanderson to buy your merchandise?

One of the main reasons for any club is for like-minded people to meet and have access to products and services that are not available to the general public. This is the case in the use of a golf course, or retrieving your car after a breakdown and Fanderson is no different to other clubs in this regard. Additionally, there are three clear reasons why our merchandise is exclusively available to club members:
1) UK tax laws exempt the club from paying income tax if we only sell merchandise to our club members. We could elect to do otherwise, but then we would have to pay tax, the cost of which would then have to be added to the price of the merchandise, making everything more expensive.
2) Our relationship with the copyright holders of the various Anderson productions means that Fanderson is allowed to produce limited edition merchandise without purchasing the merchandise licences that other manufacturers must buy in order to produce Gerry Anderson products. However, this arrangement is on the strict understanding that Fanderson only allows its products to be sold to club members. Again, we could elect to do otherwise, but the cost of the merchandise licence fee would vastly inflate the production costs of each item that they would become too expensive for most club members - based on the limited quantities that Fanderson could produce (commercial manufacturers are able to spread the cost of the licence fee over the production of a much larger number of items, anything from 10 to 50 times the number of units that Fanderson produces).
3) The club's status, combined with the factors above, enables us to produce items of merchandise that would be too risky for a commercial operation. Many of the items in the Fanderson Sales catalogue would be financially unviable to commercial merchandisers based on the relatively small quantites that they could expect to sell.

Why don’t you introduce a two-tier pricing system that charges a premium to non-members who want to buy your merchandise?

We do. Just think of the membership fee as a premium that gives you access to the full range of club services and products for just over a year. Just let us know if you don’t want to be sent your membership pack and FAB magazines and we’ll invest the postage and packing costs in membership services and merchandise instead.

Why are some of your items of merchandise more expensive than similar items that I can buy in shops?

Even without the cost of a merchandising licence, our limited production quantities mean that our unit costs are sometimes higher than they would be on comparable commercially-produced items. Taking Fanderson's double-album CDs as an example, there are many factors that contribute to the production cost such as engineering, editing and digital remastering, the hire of recording studio facilities, the manufacturing of two CD glass masters, duplication and on-body print for both CDs, packaging reprographics and print, composer royalties, musicians' royalties, and so on. If these production costs amount to, say, £30,000 then Fanderson's unit cost is £30 each based on the production of 1000 units - the quantity that the club might reasonably expect to sell. By contrast, if a commercial manufacturer expects to sell 5,000 copies of a comparable double-CD album, his unit cost is reduced to around just £7 each, enabling him to sell the product at four times that price and make a considerable profit.

I don't live in the UK. Can I still join the club?

Yes, of course! About a quarter of our members live outside the UK. You will find full details of membership rates and how to pay on the membership form/website. Just add to the membership fee the postage for the part of the world in which you live.

Can I order merchandise at the same time as applying for membership?

Yes. Just download the printable Fanderson Sales Order Form and fill in the details of your order. Include the cost of merchandise with your membership fee cheque/payment, and mail both your Membership Form and Order Form to the address shown on the Membership Form. Unfortunately we cannot currently take merchandise orders online, so if you’re joining the club online you’ll need to complete your merchandise order separately.
NOTE: Memberships and Sales are separate operations, located in different parts of the UK. We’ll always complete your membership application before fulfilling your order, which means your order will take a few weeks to be delivered.

Why do you have so many different addresses? Can I send mail to just one?

The Fanderson committee members live at different locations across the UK, so sending your mail to the right address (as detailed on our forms and in FAB magazine) means you’ll get a much quicker response. Our PO Box is really for ‘first contact’ queries or for submitting letters and articles to FAB magazine. Of course, mail sent to any of our addresses will get forwarded to the right people, it might just take a little time.

How can I pay for my membership?

We accept payment in Pounds Sterling only, and you can pay by cheque (with a UK bank sort code), UK postal order, most major credit and debit cards and PayPal if you use our online option. Full details are on every membership form and our website. If you pay by card we will charge you in Pounds Sterling, and your card company/bank will do the conversion and charge you in your local currency. So that you can check the amount that you’ve been charged your card statement will usually show both currencies.

How do I raise a Sterling money order?

Most banks throughout the world can exchange your local currency into Pounds Sterling, although there is often a charge to you for doing this. A much more economical way is to pay by credit or debit card.

Why don't you publish club accounts?

In the club's early days a summary of annual accounts used to be published within Fanderson News (the forerunner of FAB magazine). However, feedback from members made it clear that the majority preferred the pages of the magazine to be filled with interviews, articles, photos, etc, rather than the details of club business. The club’s financial status is reviewed at every committee meeting and the current status is available free of charge to any member who sends a stamped addressed envelope to the Club Secretary's address.

When is my membership due for renewal?

The mailing label on your FAB envelopes detail when your membership is due for renewal, and you will be sent a renewal form with the last issue of your current membership.

When is the next issue of FAB magazine due to be published?

FAB is published every four months and you can check the publication date and contents of the latest issue on the website.

Can you tell me when (insert programme title) is to be broadcast on TV?

If Fanderson is provided with broadcast details in advance of transmission, those details will be posted on the News page of our website. Alternatively, viewers based in the UK can visit the BBC's Radio Times website to search of details of forthcoming broadcasts.

Can you tell me when (insert programme title) is to be released on DVD?

If Fanderson is provided with DVD release information in advance of the release date, those details will be posted on the News page of our website. Alternatively, a search on Amazon will usually reveal any forthcoming DVD releases.

Can I buy (insert programme title) on DVD from you?

The full range of Fanderson merchandise is detailed on the Fanderson Sales pages of our website and the latest catalogue is sent to all members with each copy of FAB magazine. We cannot supply any items that are not listed in the catalogue. However, there are plenty of sites on the internet where Gerry Anderson DVDs can be purchased on-line: try Play, Amazon or Star Trader.

I've got a rare piece of 1960s merchandise. Can you tell me how much it's worth?

Sorry, but we don’t offer a valuation service. However, where appropriate, we can put you in touch with professional auction houses that have greater expertise in the current value

Can you put me in contact with Gerry Anderson?

We’re always happy to forward mail to Gerry on members' behalf, although he is very busy with a number of projects and is not always able to respond. As a point of principle Gerry never reads unsolicited scripts or story treatments.
of such items.

What is Fanderson's relationship with Sylvia Anderson?

The only thing that Gerry has ever asked of the club is that Fanderson does not involve Sylvia in its various projects and events. Gerry and Sylvia were involved in an extremely acrimonious divorce in the mid-1970s and out of respect for the enormous support that Gerry has offered the club over the last twenty eight years we continue to honour his request. However, this does not mean that Fanderson ignores or downplays Sylvia's many valuable contributions to the Gerry Anderson productions - indeed, she is often recognised in articles and interviews in FAB magazine.

Can I get autographs from the various people involved in making my favourite programmes?

Sorry, but we don’t offer an autograph service. However, our convention guests are more than happy to provide sign autographs for delegates.

How do you decide what merchandise to produce?

The information that our members provide about their preferred productions helps us to target our efforts towards the most popular shows, although we aim to cover all of them to some degree. Many of our items have either been suggested by our members, or in some cases (such as with mini-models) actually produced by our talented members.

Can I play your DVDs outside the UK?

Fanderson's first DVD release, The Day After Tomorrow/Space Police, was the world's first internationally compatible disc. It is region 0 coded, PAL formatted on one side (for most of Europe, Australia, China, etc) and NTSC on the other (USA, Canada, Japan, etc). Members with SECAM televisions can play the PAL side - your DVD player should convert to the local system.
The club's second DVD release, UFO & Space:1999 - The Documentaries, is also Region 0 encoded and is available in either PAL or NTSC format.

When and where is your next event or convention?

Our last event, HD21, took place at Pinewood Studios in September 2007, and included high definition screenings of Thunderbirds, UFO, Space:1999 and New Captain Scarlet. This special event also included a walking tour of the Pinewood Studios complex.

Details for TV21: Adventure in the 21st Century, to be held in Bristol - October 2010, have just been mailed with FAB magazine to all members and can be found on our website.